People in developed countries are living longer with the help of medical advances. Literature has shown that older people prefer to stay independent and live at home for as long as possible. Therefore, it is important to find out how to best accommodate and assist them in maintaining quality of life and independence as well as easing human resources. Researchers have claimed that assistive devices assist in older people’s independence, however, only a small number of studies regarding the efficiency of assistive devices have been undertaken of which several have stated that devices are not being used. The overall aim of this research was to identify whether the disuse and ineffectiveness of assistive devices are related to change in abilities or related to the design of the devices. The objective was to gather information from the elderly; to identify what assistive devices are being used or not used and to gain an understanding on their attitudes towards assistive devices. Research was conducted in two phases. The initial phase of the research was conducted with the distribution of questionnaires to people over the age of fifty that asked general questions and specific questions on type of devices being used. Phase One was followed on by Phase Two, where participants from Phase One who had come in contact with assistive devices were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Questions were put forth to the interviewee on their use of and attitudes towards assistive devices. Findings indicated that the reasons for the disuse in assistive devices were mostly design related; bulkiness, reliability, performance of the device, difficulty of use. The other main reason for disuse was socially related; elderly people preferred to undertake activities on their own and only use a device as a precaution or when absolutely necessary. They would prefer not having to rely on the devices. Living situation and difference in gender did not affect the preference for the use of assistive devices over personal assistance. The majority strongly supported the idea of remaining independent for as long as possible. In conclusion, this study proposes that through these findings, product designers will have a better understanding of the requirements of an elderly user. This will enable the designers to produce assistive devices that are more practical, personalised, reliable, easy to use and tie in with the older people’s environments. Additional research with different variables is recommended to further justify these findings.

Doctor of philosophy (PhD) / Abstract As one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, Australia has a high proportion of minority communities. However, its ageing population, particularly within these ethnic minorities, faces a range of barriers or difficulties in gaining access to and using health and aged care services. This study aims to identify the acculturation factors that affect the health status of Iranian-born elderly immigrants to Australia and their utilisation of health and community aged care services. The results of this study will be of value to Iranian elders, their families, and Australian aged health care service providers. The findings could also contribute towards enriched multicultural policy and improved social fairness, access to services, and equity for the aged from different ethnic backgrounds. 302 Iranian migrants aged 65 years who had lived in the Sydney Metropolitan area for at least six months were surveyed via a written questionnaire, face-to-face interviews, and telephone interviews. The results were analysed using SPSS and then compared to the findings from a 1999 survey of NSW elderly. The results indicate that Iranian migrants suffer higher levels of psychological distress and are more limited in their physical functioning than the general population of older Australians. They are in greater need of assistance with activities of daily living, have a lower sense of wellbeing, and are far less likely to utilise aged care services. Iranian migrant who do not speak English at home experience these disadvantages to an even greater extent English language proficiency was the only acculturation factor found to affect whether Iranian elderly utilised health and community aged care services, while ability to engage in activities of daily living (ADL) was the only health variable associated with their utilisation of community supportive aged care services. This variable did not predict the use of community aged care services in the broader sample of NSW respondents. Since limited proficiency in English placed elderly Iranian migrants at greater health risk and impeded their access to necessary assistance, the findings suggest that they would clearly benefit from English classes and from access to health and community care services and information regarding these services in the Farsi language.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2002. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : University, 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2004. / Härtill4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Sept. 15, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.